Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-07-01
A Study Of the Pheasant.
A QUEER BIRD WITH LOTS OF
CUNNING-THE NOISE HE MAKES.

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any one wishes to see a genuine
rare avis and study his habits and
eccentricities, his peculiar Gun.
ming and gushing innocence, his
absence when wanted, aud con
spicuOus presence when not
desired, he should visit the Blne
Ridge Mountains, in Virginia, IN
autumn and winter. when the
pheasant is in his glory and i'm
pudence. This bird is nearly as
large as an ordinary hen, and is
identical IN color with the par
fridge, the only distinguishable
differences between the sexes be-
ing that the male is tall and slen-
der, indeed angular, while the fe-
male, though heavier, is much
shorter, and has no comb. while
the comb Of the male shines in the
sun like diamonds.
For many miles, embracing the
comparatively unexplored noun
tains of the Blue Ridge, from James
river to the Kentucky line, the
pheasant has his home. In certain
seasons of the year they congre-
gate in coveys, like partridges,
and, discarding all semblance Of
fear, make raids upon farms and
barn yards never excelled in bold
ness by the raiders on either side
during the late unpleasantness be-
tween the states. They partake Of
all the good things found dying
around loose with o nonchalance
which indicates that they have
simply condescended to do so as a
matter of accommodation, and not
that they are to be classed as bene-
ficiaries. At this season they are
wholly unfit for foed, and no noun
taineer would think Of molesting
them. Having exhausted the sup
ply Of grapes, persimmous, bugs,
worms and flies, to say nothing OF
grains, fruits, vegetables, and all
things else that come in his way,
embracing enough, it would seem,
both in quantity and variety, to
last him through "A second siege OF
Troy, our festive bird retires to the
mountain as unceremOni0usly as
he came, and is seldom seen again
for months.
1t may be proper here to explain
one peculiarity of this bird, which
has elected widely divergent Opin-
ions as to its object. We allude to
the habit OF beating upon decayed
logs with the wings, by which a
strange, whirring sound is made
that may be easily heard for a
mile. An old theory was that the
bird employed this species of labor
to supply himself with bugs and
worms from the decayed trunks OF
trees-for il is notorious that they
beat OILY on decayed logs. AnOth-
er idea, at one time indulged by
old woodsmen, was that this
strange proceeding came from the
leader of one colony as signal to
some birds in authority in another
settlement to ascertain the locality
of each. But the writer's observa'
tions have disprOved both theories,
and conclusively demonstrated-to
his own satisfaction. at least--that
the beating with the wings is in-
variably the act of the male, which
by this means attracts his mate
This hypothesis is further snbstan'
tiated by the fact that no one
familiar with the habits of this
queer fowl ever saw female ma.
nipulating her wings on Il log.
There is another pecnllarlty
about the pheasant, which probably
does not apply to any other bird OF
= animal on the globe; and that IS
, the fact that no hunter was ever
able. under any conceivable clrcum'
stances, to surprise one, or get
within gun shot Of him without
being observed. The writer has
tried the experiment frequently,
but never succeeded. TIL" only
4
way TO get near enough to a pleas
ant to shoot him, is to make all the
noise possible. In this way the
bird can be approached as nearly
as desired, but the moment the
hunter stops the bird has flown
with such rapidity that it seems to
have been fired from a howItzer--
Indeed, instances are frequent
where they have flown with such
velocity as to dash themselves to
death against trees in their ronte'
It has been frequently wondered
why the pheasant, though at home
on the north side of the Blue
Ridge, is rarely seen on the oppo'
site side of the dividing line. The
reason is obvious. and shows the
wisdom. if such it may be called,
of this rare bird. North Of the
Blue Ridge are almost impassahle
thickets of laurel and pine. When
a fall of snow occurs the branches
of the shrubbery-the pines es-
pecially-rest on the ground, lea'-
ing a coy retreat for the bIrds,
which have also the advantage oi a
Garnet of decayed leaves. To these
baunts they repair in large nun
hers. and are kille by hundreds
by the sharpshooters OF The neigh
hnrhnod. L not nDlrequentll